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BACKGROUNDIn the District of Columbia, the rate at which children are becoming homeless is increasing dramatically. It is estimated that 6,000 children and youth in D.C. are homeless.

ROLEA mentor is an adult volunteer who provides both general encouragement and specific support to empower his or her mentee to prepare for a successful future. Mentors serve as a trusted friend and guide helping to ensure that the youth develops important academic and life skills, is exposed to new opportunities and a wide array of resources, makes positive life choices, and stays in school.

DUTIES Mentors will:

Mentors MUST HAVE A VEHICLE

Comply with all requisite Eyes Wide Open Mentoring, Inc. policies and procedures

Meet with mentee once a week for an hour or more for one calendar year from the onset of the first initial meeting with the mentee

Notify their mentees, the mentees’ parents or guardians, as well as their supervisors, when they are unable to meet with mentees due to travel, vacation, illness, etc.

Assist mentees with schoolwork

Explore fun and enriching activities with mentees that match their mutual interests

Immediately report concerns about their mentees to their supervisors

Practice common sense about their own and their mentee’s safety

Participate in required training and orientation, as well as ongoing training and support

File progress reports on a monthly basis

Maintain confidentiality and respect the privacy of all participants

HAVE FUN!!!

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

At least 21 years old

Have a vehicle

Interested in working with young people

Willing to adhere to program policies and procedures

Dependable and consistent in meeting the time commitments for mentoring as well as for reporting and training

No use of illicit drugs

No smoking, use of tobacco products or drinking alcohol during mentoring activities

TIME COMMITMENTIdeally, a mentor will:

Be able to meet with your mentee a minimum of 4 to 8 hours per month

Communicate with your mentee in between face-to-face visits

Attend all required trainings

Attend mentor/mentee group events and mentor support groups

DESIRABLE QUALITIESThe ideal mentor will be:

Willing and active listener

Encouraging and supportive

Patient, understanding, flexible, and committed for the long term

Tolerant and respectful of individual and cultural differences

Creative and self-motivated

Self-confident, but willing to take advice and work as part of a dedicated team

Able to set clear and consistent boundaries

APPLICATION & SCREENING PROCESSAll applicants must complete and pass the following requirements:

A written application

Driving record check

A comprehensive criminal records background check

A personal interview

One hour online training class on the basics of mentoring

Attend a 3-4 hour in person mentor training

EWOM Mentor Application Process

The first step in becoming a mentor is to contact info@ewomentoring.org. She will set up a time to talk with you about the organization, what it is like to be a mentor, and explain the application process.

You will then be asked to fill out the mentor application which will be emailed to you. Be sure to submit your references in the application.

Upon receipt of your application, you will receive instructions for completing the DCPS background check. In order to submit your background check, you must FIRST get a tuberculosis screening test and have the results IN HAND when you go to the DCPS office to get your fingerprinting completed for the background check.

Once the background check is submitted you will be emailed log-in information for an online mentor training program. This training takes 1-2 hours to complete. It is done from home and can be completed over multiple days. It addresses topics such as the boundaries of mentoring, expectations, what to do during your first meeting with your mentee, motivations for mentoring, and other helpful information.

The last step is attending the EWOM in-person mentor training to learn about the EWOM policies and procedures, what it is like to mentor a homeless youth, participate in real-life scenarios that could arise, be briefed on trauma and how it affects children, as well as other information.

Although this list can seem overwhelming, EWOM will walk you through the process and offer additional assistance if needed.